Student October Count 2012 Resource Guide August 28, 2012

1. Student October Count 2012Resource GuideAugust 28, 2012

2. Overview • Each year all public school districts and facilities across the state of Colorado participate in the Student October Count data submission to CDE. • Student October Count based on a 1 day membership of all students actively enrolled and in attendance. • Known as the Pupil Enrollment Count Day.

3. Pupil Enrollment Count Day • October 1 of each year, unless that date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or major religious holiday. • If the Pupil Enrollment Count Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday the count day will be the following Monday. • If the Pupil Enrollment Count Day falls on a major religious holiday the count day will be the following school day at the conclusion of the holiday. • The Pupil Enrollment Count Day for the 2012-2013 school year is October 1, 2012.

4. Alternative Count Date A district may request an alternative count date for a school/program to allow maximum flexibilityin the operation and scheduling of school calendars and of year-round calendars, or for other reasons as authorized in statute. Districts must submit their requests in writing to the Audit Team of the Public School Finance Unit for the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) by September 15th. Since September 15th falls on a Saturday for 2012 the due date will be extended to September 17, 2012.

5. Alternative Count Date (continued) • Eligible Programs: • A program designed to return dropout students for completion of the 12th grade or • A program not in session 30 calendar days prior to the pupil enrollment count day or the alternative count date. • Alternative count date must be within 45 days of the pupil enrollment count day.

6. Alternative Count Date (continued) • The alternative count will be conducted in the same manner as the pupil enrollment count day. • In no case shall a student be counted on more than one count date. • Students transferring to a school using an alternative count date, after the pupil enrollment count day, must have certification from the former Colorado district that the student was not included in their official pupil enrollment count day.

7. Count/Funding eligibility • Student must meet active enrollment, attendance, and schedule as of the Pupil Enrollment Count Day.

8. Enrollment • Must be under the age of 21 as of the Pupil Enrollment Count Day or • Students receiving services under an IEP and reach 21 during the semester of the Pupil Enrollment Count Day. • Student shall not have received a high school diploma as of the Pupil Enrollment Count Day. • A student who withdraws of transfers out of district prior to the pupil enrollment count day shall not be included in the Student October Count.

9. Attendance In order for a student to be eligible to be included for funding, the student must also establish attendance with the district on or before the pupil enrollment count day.

10. Attendance(continued) Attendance requirements necessary for funding eligibility include one of the following: • Attending school for all or any portion of the pupil enrollment count day, or • If the student is absent/does not attend on the pupil enrollment count day, then the student must have attended school in the five school days prior to the pupil enrollment count day, and resume attendance within 30 calendar days following the pupil enrollment count day, or

11. Attendance(continued) • If the student is absent on the pupil enrollment count day, has attended school during the current school year prior to the count date, and has resumed attendance within 5 school days after the pupil enrollment count day.

12. Attendance(continued) • If a student’s last day of attendance is prior to the pupil enrollment count day, and the student does not resume attendance within 30 calendar days after the pupil enrollment count day, then the student does not meet the attendance criteria and is not eligible for funding.

13. Attendance(continued) • If a student’s first day of attendance is after the pupil enrollment count day, then the student does not meet the attendance criteria and is not eligible for funding (even if the student meets the enrollment criteria).

14. Attendance(continued) • In-service days scheduled within the eleven-day count window will be considered as non-attendance days and no extension will be granted. • The eleven‐day count window includes the pupil enrollment count day as well as the five days preceding and following that day.

15. Attendance(continued) For students who are participating in off-site programs only (such as work study/experience, concurrently enrolled courses, etc.), the district must be able to provide attendance verification for those students (from the off-site location).

16. Scheduled Hours In addition to meeting the enrollment and attendance criteria, students must also meet scheduled hours criteria to be considered for funding. Funding is given on a full or part time basis. The amount of funding for which a student is eligible in the Student October Count is based on the amount of student-teacher contact time scheduled for each student as of the pupil enrollment count day.

17. Scheduled Hours (continued) • Full Time Funding: Generally a student is eligible for full time funding if the student has a schedule as of the pupil enrollment count day which provides at least 360 hours of student-teacher contact and instruction in the semester of the pupil enrollment count day.

18. Scheduled Hours (continued) • Part Time Funding: Generally a student is eligible for part time funding if the student has a schedule as of the pupil enrollment count day which provides at least 90 hours, but less than 360 hours, of student-teacher contact and instruction in the semester of the pupil enrollment count day.

19. Scheduled Hours (continued) • A district shall not include the actual time instruction is suspended for lunch period. • Optional attendance periods (advisory, enhancement, tutorial, etc.) are not eligible to be used in the calculation of student-teacher contact time.

20. Scheduled Hours (continued) • A district may include days students are excused to participate in state mandated testing. • A student receiving services under an IEP, but unable to benefit from a full-time program, shall be deemed to meet the requirements of full-time funding, however the IEP must specifically state the student was unable to benefit from a full-time program.

21. Passing Periods • Passing time is defined as the time between two classes or between a class and lunch period. • Beginning with school year 2010/2011, passing period resolutions are no longer required to count the time between two classes or between a class and lunch as part of the education process. • Passing period resolutions are required for all years prior to the 2010/2011 school year. • Passing periods between lunchtime and a class or between a class and a free period do not constitute a qualifying passing period.

22. Advanced Highly Gifted Students • Beginning in school year 2008/2009, eligible school districts can allow early access to kindergarten to a highly gifted advanced four year old and early access to first grade to a highly gifted advanced five year old. • The administrative unit at the school district, board of cooperative services or the state Charter School Institute must file a Program Plan containing the elements of early access or an early access addendum to the program plan. The initial addendum must be filed for approval with the Gifted Education Unit at the Department of Education by January 1 prior to the fiscal year of implementation. (For example: Eligible addendums for fiscal year 2012-2013 must have been submitted by January 2012.)

23. Advanced Highly Gifted Students (continued) • The early access provisions will benefit only a few highly advanced gifted children. The legislation is not for the majority of age 4 or age 5 gifted students. Gifted education directors and coordinators will be working with their superintendent, steering committees, and/or other stakeholders to determine if early access will be permitted in their administrative unit. • The early access addendum template and checklist are located on CDE’s Web page at the following URL: http://www.cde.state.co.us/gt/resources.htm. • The student must have an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) on file as of September 30.

24. Advanced Highly Gifted Students (continued) • For a four year old to be counted in kindergarten or a five year old to be counted in first grade, the child’s ALP must contain the phrase, “grade acceleration” in a prominent, highly visible, place during grades kindergarten and first grade. • The student must reach the age of four by September 1 or the beginning of the school year whichever comes first to be included in kindergarten.

25. Advanced Highly Gifted Students (continued) • The student must reach the age of five by September 1 or the beginning of the school year whichever comes first to be included in first grade. • The administrative unit’s gifted education director will have current information about the local advanced learning plan system of support. Examples of ALPs are located on CDE’s Web page at the following URL: http://www.cde.state.co.us/gt/resources.htm. • Administrative units that permit early access will need to post the start dates for their district or member districts on the automated data exchange (ADE) system.

26. Concurrently Enrolled Students • Eligible students: 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades qualify if student has: • received approval from the high school for their academic plan of study • applied for concurrent enrollment approval with the high school no later than the deadline set by the college and 60 days before the end of the academic term that immediately precedes the intended term of concurrent enrollment • met minimum college prerequisites for desired course(s)

27. Concurrently Enrolled Students (continued) • Students who have not satisfied minimum high school graduation requirements established by his or her high school by the end of his or her 12th grade year, and are held back for instructional purposes, may not concurrently enroll into more than 9 credit hours during the academic year (including basic skills courses) with a maximum of 6 credits per semester as a full-time student and 3 credits per semester as a part-time student in any subsequent years while registered as a K-12 student.

28. Concurrently Enrolled Students (continued) • Districts must ensure that all college credit hours earned concurrently apply toward the student’s high school graduation requirements as defined in the students’ academic plan, and as evidenced on the student’s high school transcript. • Districts are required to pay tuition directly to the college for concurrent courses at the in-state (“resident”) community college tuition rate (parent/student reimbursement for tuition is not allowed).

29. Concurrently Enrolled Students (continued) • If a student is taking courses only at the institution of higher education, he or she must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester credit hours at the institution of higher education as of the pupil enrollment count day to be eligible for full-time funding.

30. Concurrently Enrolled Students (continued) • If a student is taking courses only at the institution of higher education, he or she must be enrolled in a minimum of 3, but less than 6, semester credit hours at the institution of higher education as of the pupil enrollment count day to be eligible for part-time funding. • If the student is enrolled part-time at both the high school and institution of higher education, the student may be funded full-time.

31. Concurrently Enrolled Students (continued) • Documentation requirements: • Concurrent Enrollment Cooperative Agreement • Individual and Career Academic Plan (ICAP) • High school transcript • Documentation from the institute of higher education indicating number of semester credit hours student is enrolled in • Documentation showing district paid tuition directly to institution of higher education

32. ASCENT Students • Eligible students must: • Complete, or be scheduled to complete at least 12 credit hours of postsecondary coursework prior to the completion of his or her 12th grade year • Not be in basic skills coursework as defined by the CCHE remedial education policy • Have been selected for participation in the ASCENT program by his or her high school principal or equivalent school administrator • Have satisfied the minimum prerequisites for the course(s) before his or her enrollment in the course(s) • Have not participated in the ASCENT program in previous years

33. ASCENT Students (continued) • Districts must pay tuition directly to the institution of higher education • Student may be funded full time with enrollment of 12 semester credit hours • Student may be funded part time with enrollment of at least 3 semester credit hours but less than 12 semester credit hours

34. ASCENT Students (continued) • Documentation requirements- • ASCENT Cooperative Agreement • Individual and Career Academic Plan (ICAP) • High school transcript • Documentation from the institute of higher education indicating number of semester credit hours student is enrolled in • Documentation showing district paid tuition directly to institution of higher education

35. Early College Students "Early college" means a secondary school that provides only a curriculum that is designed in a manner that ensures that a student who successfully completes the curriculum will have completed either an associate's degree or sixty credit hours toward the completion of a postsecondary credential. 

36. Early College Students (continued) Recognized Early Colleges: • Dolores Huerta preparatory high school (Pueblo) • Southwest early college charter high school (Denver) • Front range early college (Denver) • Colorado Springs early colleges (CO Springs) • Early college high school (Arvada) • Early Colleges (Ft. Collins) • A secondary school satisfying provisions and identifying itself as an “Early College” on 5/21/2009

37. Early College Students (continued) • Students enrolled at an Early College are not held to the Concurrent Enrollment requirements, but rather the same requirements as all other students.  As such, the district must be prepared to provide documentation to support the number of student-teacher contact hours at both the high school and the institution of higher education (if applicable).

38. Early College Students (continued) Audit Documentation • If the student is scheduled for classes at/or through an institution of higher education, the district must provide the following documentation: • Student schedule • Calendar • Bell schedule from the institution of higher education

39. Dropout Recovery Students • These programs are new for the 2012-2013 school year pursuant to HB 12-1146. • Agreement between Local Education Provider (LEP) and Community College must be provided. Community College must meet definition in part 2 of Article 60 of 23 C.R.S. or a Junior College as defined in section 23-71-102 C.R.S. that operates pursuant at Article 71 of Title 23 C.R.S.

40. Dropout Recovery Students (continued) • Eligible students must be between the ages of 16 and 21 years old, but not yet 21 as of October 1.

41. Dropout Recovery Students (continued) • Provide listing of program attendees. The list may only include students that have dropped out or students at risk of dropping out and have permission of Chief Executive Officer of School. • District should confirm that the student has dropped out or is at risk of dropping out as of the pupil enrollment count date.

42. Dropout Recovery Students (continued) • Students must be scheduled for at least 7 credit hours during the first semester that includes the pupil enrollment count date to be eligible for full-time funding. • There is no provision for part-time funding. • The LEP shall pay the student share of the tuition for each course completed by a student through the dropout recovery program in an amount negotiated between the LEP and Community College.

43. Dropout Recovery Students (continued) • Courses must qualify for credit toward completion of the LEP’s requirements for high school graduation. • Student attends classes either in person or virtually only at the community college, and does not attend classes at a school operated by the LEP.

44. Dropout Recovery Students (continued) • For students attending virtually, the district must provide residency documents and the community college should provide logins to demonstrate active participation into course content (required of any online program). • Attendance requirements must be met and provided. • Student should be coded as a dropout recovery student in the Post Secondary Program field for the Student October Count collection.

45. Dropout Recovery Students (continued) • Documentation requirements- • Agreement between LEP and Community College • List of program attendees • Schedule from the Community College • Tuition payment verification for student completed courses • Attendance from Community College • Online documentation for applicable students

46. Contractual Educational Service Students In the event a district of residence is paying maximum tuition to another district or entity to educate one of its students, the district of residence may include that student in its Student October Count for funding, however the district of residence will be responsible for ensuring they have all of the necessary documentation at the time of the audit. (If the district of residence is paying maximum tuition and including the student in their funded count, the district of attendance may not count the student).

47. Contractual Educational Service Students (continued) • Maximum tuition is defined as money paid to another district to cover basic education costs. • Tuition does not include the excess costs for special education services. • Tuition students must be in membership in the district of attendance on the pupil enrollment count day.

48. Contractual Educational Service Students (continued) • In the event an individual and not a school district is to pay tuition, no district shall include the student in its student membership. • The determination of full-time or part-time status is based upon the number of hours of student- teacher contact scheduled at the district of attendance.

49. Contractual Educational Service Students (continued) Audit Documentation The district of residence (the district paying tuition and including the student for funding) must obtain the following documentation from the district of attendance (district receiving tuition to educate the student):

50. Contractual Educational Service Students (continued) • Contract between district of residence and district of attendance showing payment agreement dates for educating student • 11-day count window attendance (minimum) • District/school calendar (for school/ program the student is attending) • If secondary student (generally grades 6-12), individual student schedule (or IEP), bell schedule, and calendar Audit Documentation